CLYDE WISHAM
When I was a young man, I found Rand's philosophy to be quite compelling. Now that I am an old man and have been exposed to a lot more of how people actually act and think, it no longer appeals to me. In fact, her thinking is IMO quite flawed. People aren't always rational and they always find ways to game the system. The following quote puts it well:
“I find Objectivism and Libertarianism as compelling as Marxism: all assume predictable, rational, game & rule type following behavior from everyone to work... and fall apart if someone doesn't follow the rules.” – Tobias Buckell
The adventures of Uthred, Bernard Cornwell's Saxon hero, continue in the fifth book of the Saxon series. This story is anchored around two crucial battles between the Saxons and Danes – the Battle of Farnham and the decisive Battle of Benfleet (both around 894 AD). Between them Uthred breaks an oath, looses love, finds love, takes down a pirate, meets a Danish warrior witch, and has lots of adventures. Good stuff. England in its infancy is now taking shape in Cornwell's series.
It took me a while to get into this story, but it was worth it. TGwtDT is a big, rambling, and ultimately very good and satisfying book. The Swedish name, Men Who Hate Women, is a better match as there are some very evil woman-hating men in the story. The English book takes its name from the dragon tattoo on the back of Lisbeth Salander, one of the two main protagonists. Lisbeth is young, truculent, hyper-intelligent, asocial, relentless – I like her. The other main protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist, is a recently disgraced investigative reporter who is driven to clear his name. They start off with separate stories that merge partway through the book as Lisbeth and Mikael work to solve an old mystery. This book provides memorable characters, danger, mystery, action, and vengeance. What's not to like?
This is the third and apparently final in Weber's Dahak series. You don't have to read the first two to enjoy this one, but it would certainly help.
This story starts off as political intrigue. However about one quarter of the way in, it splits into two parallel story lines. The political intrigue line continues with Colin, Dahak, and others trying to figure out who is doing dastardly and evil deeds in the Empire. The other story line becomes the main one. It follows Colin's teenage children and their friends as they try to survive after they are marooned on a backward world. Some ideas from this line get recycled in Weber's later [b:Off Armageddon Reef|72199|Off Armageddon Reef (Safehold, #1)|David Weber|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442716667l/72199._SY75_.jpg|1069607].
There is lots of action and intrigue in both lines.
Overall it is a pretty good book. However, it ends a bit too suddenly for my taste -- especially the teenagers line. It is almost like Weber belatedly realized, "Hey I'm over target word count. Gotta wrap this up."
3.5 stars rounded up.
This big book is ambitious, even epic. Mayer populates this novel with both fictional and historical characters to weave a story that starts at West Point in 1841 and ends at the first bloody day of the Battle of Shiloh. The four main POV characters range far and wide and they witness most of the big events that shaped the U.S. during those fateful years—Frémont's expeditions, the Mexican-American war, the founding of the Naval Academy, the hanging of John Brown, the attack on Fort Sumpter, and the battles that studded the first year of the Civil War. However, this isn't a dry book about events. Loves, hopes, victories, and defeats bring the characters and their families to life. Damned good book.
Yeine Darr is summoned from a backwater northern country to the majestic city of Sky. There her grandfather, who rules the world, informs her that she is to be his heir. There is only one catch – she is the third named heir. The three of them must compete for the throne and only one can survive. There are gods and godlings, magic, treachery, and deep plots. On the negative side, I couldn't really engage with the characters; they didn't seem realistic. For example, Yeine is much too composed and skilled for a teenager – too mature. That said, I like Jemisin's writing style and I expect that I will read more of her work.
Sequel to Black on Black. Heyoka Blackeagle's story continues. This time he is organizing a new Ranger unit consisting of Humans and Hrinnti. They go on a training mission to a world populated by a pacifistic race. Naturally the enemy Fleck show up. Too bad she didn't continue this series. I like it.
(This review based on the eBook version.)
Heyoka Blackeagle is a seven-foot-tall hairy being with retractable claws. He is also the only member of the Hrinnti race to ever leave their home planet. Rescued from a slave market and raised by a human, he is now a soldier. He returns to his home planet seeking his roots, and he quickly gains enemies. As if that isn't enough, murderous aliens then invade. Things get very exciting.
This is an extraordinary book telling the extraordinary events of 25 October 1944. A small group of brave American sailors, most of them boys really, faced the might of the Japanese navy alone. They deserved to have their harrowing story told. Hornfischer tells it eloquently and emotionally.
The U.S. Navy's finest hour indeed.
Read their story. It is great.
[b:The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader's War on the Golan 34657 The Heights of Courage A Tank Leader's War on the Golan Avigdor Kahalani https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347770997s/34657.jpg 34628] is one of the best books around about tank warfare. Avigdor Kahalani was the commander of a battalion of Israeli Centurions during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. That war was basically a tank war, and it was fought under very adverse conditions. Kahalani and his men were in the thick of the action all the way. It is a compelling true story.
